Improvement in balance-wheel



@auch 'gratta @anni @Hirn o IMPROVEMENT IN BALANCE-WHEEL.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERNE Be it known that I, ELIJAH S. PIERGE, ofHartford, in the countyY of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and improved Balance-Wheel; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. AI i Figure 4 is a front view of the improved balance-wheel, showing thearrangement of the parts.

Figure 5 is a cross-section of the same ori the line x so'.

Figure 6 is a cross-section on the line y y, 'g. 5.

Like letters in the several figures indicate like pants.

My invention consists in constructing a bala-nce or {1y-wheel in such a.manner that the exterior portion of the wheel A shall be a separatepiece from the axis F or part joined to the axis B, and shall beconnect-ed with vit by some part intervening between the rim A and theaxis F, or by some device, b, the breakage of which shall liberate thewheel, being a contrivance to regulate the resistance between the parts.so that the balancef wheel, acting as a reserve force, can be made toexert more or less of its accumulated power, as may be desired.

In figs. 4, 5, and 6, the wheel A moves freely on the shaft F, and thepart B is keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft adjoining the wheel A.Between the part B and the balance-wheel a small connecting-piece, b,`is inserted, which is intended to be of such strength that it shall bebroken by any force applied to the wheel greater than the desired limit.In the drawings, iigs. 4: and 5, this connecting-piece b is secured inthe slots 'd and e by means-of the screws s s s. By moving the piece bmore or less distance from the centre, a greater or less degree of forcein the wheel will be required tobreak it.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the wheel is in motionand a certain amount of power has been accumulated, should any force orwork to be done retard its motion, or any resistance check its speed,the heavy rim A will act with a. force suilcient to break the piece I:to overcome that resistance, and it will exert no greater force, for ifthej axis be stopped and brought to rest suddenly, the rim or wheel Awould continue to revolve until its momentum was overcome by friction.This arrangement admits of a balance-wheel of great weight andaccumulated power being used, which cannot exert more than a givenamount of force upon the machinery in the direction in which it ismoving, but whose whole accumulated force can be used so long as thatlimit is not at any time exceeded. A

My improved balance-wheel is especially useful in all machinery where itis desired to use a heavy {Iy-wheel to obtain uniformity of motion, andwhere any sudden stoppage or obstruction is likely or possibleV to occurby which the machine would be broken or deranged in consequence of theinertia of the balance-wheel keeping it iu motion. With my improvedbalance-wheel the limit of resist-ance oan'be regulated and arranged sothat the machinery would not be injured by the most sudden stoppage.

I do not limit myself to the peculiar arrangement of parts shown in thedrawings to accomplish the purpose described, nor to the particular formof wheel shown. l

Claim.

What Ivclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is#- An improved balance-wheel, in which the outer rim or wheel isseparate from the hub or axis, upon which it can turn when disconnected,and to which it is attached by the devices herein described, or theirmechanical equivalents, for the purpose herein set forth.

i E.' S. PIERCE.

Witnesses: l

S. HAFELIN, THEO. G. ELLIS;

